usenovelgroup Chapter 49, 1
Chapter 49, 1
Gao Huan did not rush to get on the bus.
He squatted down next to the trash can, took out his phone from his pocket, opened WeChat, and found Hu Yanbin.
He took a picture first.
The shoebox was half-open, and the little teddy bear was curled up inside, its fur dirty, its eyes half-closed, and its bandaged front legs curled at an unnatural angle.
The lighting was poor, but the face was captured very clearly, looking pitiful, like an old rag that had been crumpled and thrown away.
Then he typed a message: "Brother Bin, is this the dog you and Zheng Shuang used to have? I found it next to the trash can in Building 6 of Gubei No. 1. I'm taking it to Anxin Pet Hospital on Hongqiao Road now."
After sending the message, he put his phone back in his pocket, picked up the shoebox, and stood up.
"Let's go," he said to Nazha, "to the hospital first."
The two people got into the car.
Naza sat in the passenger seat, placed the shoebox on her lap, held it with one hand, and gently lifted the lid a crack with the other to look at the puppy inside.
The puppy was still curled up, but its breathing was more steady than before. I don't know if it was because the car was warmer or because someone was holding it.
The car drove off Hongsong East Road and turned onto the Middle Ring Road.
Gao Huan gripped the steering wheel when his phone vibrated.
He glanced down at WeChat and saw that Hu Yanbin had sent a voice message.
He didn't play it first; he drove off. He only pressed play when he was stopped at a red light.
"I'll be right there."
You could feel the urgency in his voice even through the screen.
……
The pet hospital is located near Hongqiao Road.
Gao Huan parked the car and went inside carrying the shoebox.
Naza followed behind, her mask still on, and her eyes were still red.
The receptionist frowned when she saw the puppy in the shoebox and turned to call the vet.
Not long after, a male doctor in a white coat came out, glanced at the puppy, and gently stroked its back.
"Teddy, male, about three or four months old."
Its mental state is very poor; it's probably mitten. The front leg looks like it's fractured.
He looked up at Gao Huan and said, "Let's get the check-up done first."
"Okay," Gao Huan said.
The doctor carried the shoebox into the examination room.
Gao Huan went to the front desk to fill out a form and pay a deposit. When he swiped his card, the receptionist glanced at him but didn't recognize him. He was wearing a mask and his hat was pulled down low.
Naza stood outside the clinic, looking through the glass window at the little dog placed on the examination table inside, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.
Gao Huan walked over and stood next to her.
"I've paid the money," he said.
Naza nodded without saying anything.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the doorway.
The door was pushed open, and a man rushed in, his steps hurried and chaotic, almost tripping over the threshold.
Hu Yanbin.
He was also wearing a mask, and his eyes looked anxious and flustered.
He saw Gao Huan and strode over.
"Where's Zuo Zuo? You mean that little dog?"
"We'll do the tests inside," Gao Huan said, pointing towards the examination room.
Hu Yanbin walked to the glass window and glanced inside.
The vet is drawing blood from the puppy. The puppy is curled up in a ball, its body trembling slightly, but it no longer has the strength to struggle.
Hu Yanbin stood there, motionless, his shoulders slightly slumped.
Several seconds passed before he turned around and took off his mask.
His face looked worse than when I saw him in the neighborhood that morning.
He glanced at Nazha, then at Gao Huan, and his lips twitched slightly—not a smile, but an awkward "I don't even know how to start the conversation" kind of twitch.
"Thank you," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "Really, thank you."
Gao Huan looked at him without saying a word.
Naza stood to the side and asked softly, "Brother Bin, this dog...does it belong to you and Zheng Shuang?"
Hu Yanbin's expression changed slightly.
Like someone whose wounds have been unintentionally reopened, it hurts, but there's nowhere to hide.
"Yes," he said softly, "we raised it together, and we've had it for almost a year."
He paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts or encouraging himself.
"I didn't throw it."
As he spoke, his tone carried the urgency of someone who had been wrongly accused. "I never agreed to it. This morning when she left my house, she took the dog with her. I thought she was just taking the dog for a walk, but I never expected her to..."
He couldn't continue.
In the examination room, the doctor is taking an X-ray of the puppy.
The small body was placed on the platform, its front legs stretched out and its hind legs curled up, like a rag doll posed in a specific position.
It didn't bark, probably because it was too tired to bark anymore.
Hu Yanbin looked at the screen, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"I didn't expect her to do this." His voice lowered, almost as if he were talking to himself, "Just because of the treatment cost of a few thousand dollars... she thought it was too expensive."
When he said that, Gao Huan saw his hand clench into a fist.
"She told me that the dog was sick and the vet bills were too expensive, so we should just buy another one."
Hu Yanbin's voice trembled slightly, "I thought she was just saying it. I didn't expect her to actually do it..."
He took a deep breath and swallowed the rest of his words.
Naza stood to the side, her eyes reddening again.
She didn't speak, but her expression made it clear that she felt sorry for the dog and sympathized with the man in front of her.
Hu Yanbin raised his head and looked at Gao Huan.
"Gao Huan, I'll pay for this dog's medical treatment. Can you please take care of it for me for now?"
His tone was pleading, "My current condition... isn't really suitable for keeping it."
And if she knew the dog was still with me, who knows what she might do.
When he said "she," his tone was very soft, but Gao Huan could hear the underlying meaning in that word: exhaustion, helplessness, and a little bit of fear.
Gao Huan looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then nodded.
"Okay, Nazha really wanted to keep it."
Naza nodded vigorously beside her, her nodding like a chick pecking at rice.
"Yes, Brother Bin, don't worry, I'll take good care of it."
Hu Yanbin looked at Nazha and saw that her eyes were red but her expression was serious. He saw her standing here with her hand on Gao Huan's arm, her knuckles slightly tightening but her eyes determined.
He suddenly felt a little envious.
"Thank you," he said, his tone more composed this time. "Really, thank you all."
The door to the examination room opened, and the doctor came out with a stack of reports.
"Positive for parvovirus, fracture of the radius in the foreleg."
The parvovirus has just passed its incubation period and is not yet at its most serious stage, so there is still a great chance of successful treatment.
The fracture requires surgery, but it can only be performed once the patient's condition has stabilized.
Hu Yanbin took the report, flipped through it, and handed it to the doctor.
"I'll treat it, no matter the cost," he said with certainty, as if he were doing something he should have done long ago.
The doctor nodded and went to arrange for hospitalization.
Hu Yanbin turned around, glanced at Nazha, and then at Gao Huan.
"Do you have anything else to do?" he asked. "I'll just keep an eye on things here."
Gao Huan checked the time; it was almost noon.
"Nazha has to film this afternoon," he said. "I'm free, I'll stay with you for a while."
Hu Yanbin glanced at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, this time looking more like a smile than before.
"Okay, let's have dinner together later."
……
Naza left first.
Her performance is at 2 PM, and she can't be late.
Before leaving, she squatted in front of the insulated box and looked at the little teddy bear inside through the glass for several seconds.
The puppy had its eyes closed, its breathing rising and falling, the small rise and fall of its chest like a still-flickering, weak flame.
"Little Eleven," she called softly, "I'll come see you again tonight."
She stood up, looked at Gao Huan, reached out and took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Please take good care of it for me."
"it is good."
She glanced at Hu Yanbin again, nodded, and then turned and left.
The high heels clicked on the floor, making a crisp sound that faded into the distance and finally disappeared through the doorway.
Gao Huan and Hu Yanbin stayed at the pet hospital for almost another hour.
The doctor admitted Xiao Shiyi to the hospital, which was actually an observation room next to the examination room. It had several rows of cages covered with blankets and had heating equipment.
Little Eleven was placed in the innermost cage, with bandages on its front legs and IV needles inserted in its paws, receiving an IV drip.
It opened its eyes a crack and glanced at Hu Yanbin.
Just one glance.
Then it closed its eyes.
Hu Yanbin squatted in front of the cage, watching it without moving.
Gao Huan stood behind him without saying a word.
After a while, Hu Yanbin stood up.
"Let's go," he said, "let's go eat."
……
The two of them found a Shandong cuisine restaurant near the hospital.
It's not some roadside eatery; the storefront isn't flashy, but once you step inside, you can tell that it's been carefully prepared.
The hall was bright and spacious, with dark solid wood tables and chairs. The tables were separated by openwork screens depicting flowers and birds, and several neatly framed Jiaodong paper-cuts hung on the walls.
The waiter led them through the corridor and pushed open a heavy wooden door. The private room was small but quiet. The round table was covered with a white tablecloth, and the tableware was made of blue and white porcelain with jade-colored fish-shaped chopstick rests.
Hu Yanbin made the choice.
"It's quiet here," he said, taking off his mask and rubbing his face. "Nobody knows us in the private room, so we can have a proper chat."
The dishes were served quickly. The bowl of pickled fish was ridiculously large, taking up half the table. A layer of red oil and a few pieces of pickled cabbage floated on the soup, steaming hot, and the aroma wafted straight into my nose.
Hu Yanbin poured two glasses of wine, picked up his own glass, and before Gao Huan could even finish, he took a big gulp.
It was icy and bitter; my throat tightened as I drank it.
He put down his cup, picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it, and then took another sip of wine.
Gao Huan didn't urge him.
He knew there were things he didn't want to say, but rather didn't know how to bring them up. He needed some time, some wine, and a dimly lit place.
Hu Yanbin took two more sips of wine before speaking.
"We've been together for almost a year."
He said it in a very flat tone, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him.
"It was all good at first. She was pretty, and her eyes crinkled when she smiled, like a little girl. You thought you could take care of her, protect her, and give her a sense of security."
He paused for a moment, poked at the twice-cooked pork on the plate with his chopsticks, but didn't pick it up.
"Later you realize you can't take care of her."
His voice lowered, "Because you can never give enough. She wants too much, so much that you can't fill her up even if you empty yourself out."
Gao Huan picked up a piece of pickled fish and ate it slowly without saying a word.
Hu Yanbin downed the rest of the wine in his glass in one gulp and poured himself another glass.
"She doesn't talk to other actors on set, but at home, she tells me everything she can't say in public."
At first I thought it was trust, but later I realized it was... she was using me as a dumping ground.
When he said the word "trash can," the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, in a self-deprecating way.
"I've broken up with her more than once."
Every time, she would cry, cry terribly, saying she loved me and couldn't live without me. Then my heart would soften.
He put down his chopsticks, looked at the bowl of pickled fish on the table, and the steam blurred his face.
"Do you know what's the most ridiculous thing?" he asked Gao Huan.
Gao Huan looked at him without saying a word.
"The most ridiculous thing is that I still don't think she's a bad person."
Hu Yanbin's tone carried an indescribable complexity.
"She just... doesn't know how to be nice to others."
She probably wasn't treated well by anyone from childhood to adulthood.
So she gets whatever she wants and throws away what she doesn't want anymore; maybe she has no idea that it will hurt me.
After saying that, he picked up his glass and took another big gulp.
Gao Huan finally spoke.
"Brother Bin, what are you planning to do?"
Hu Yanbin remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't know. I want to break up. She didn't want to before, but she probably agreed to break up now." He gave a bitter smile.
"That dog," Hu Yanbin suddenly changed the subject.
"We picked it out together."
She said she wanted a puppy, a tiny one, one she could hold in her arms.
We went to the pet store, and she immediately took a liking to this Teddy bear, saying its eyes were like little light bulbs, bright and shiny.
His voice was a little choked, but he didn't cry.
"After we bought the dog, she didn't take care of it much anymore."
Feeding the dog, walking the dog, and getting vaccinated are all my responsibilities.
Her job was to take pictures of it while holding it, post them on Weibo, and say, "Our baby."
She was very happy when fans praised her for being kind-hearted in the comments.
He paused for a long time after saying this.
Then he raised his head and looked at Gao Huan.
"Gao Huan, tell me, can a person not care about a dog, but care about the person who cares about the dog?"
Gao Huan put down his chopsticks and looked at him.
"Brother Bin, do you want to hear the truth?"
"you say."
"You've asked the wrong question," Gao Huan said. "You should be asking, did she ever care about you at all?"
Hu Yanbin was taken aback.
Then he laughed.
That smile was awful; his mouth was stretched wide, but his whole being looked like he was about to break apart.
He picked up his wine glass and raised it towards Gao Huan.
"Gao Huan, that's a very powerful statement."
Gao Huan also raised his glass and clinked it with his.
"good."
The two of them did it.
Hu Yanbin put down his cup, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the fluorescent light tubes on the ceiling. The light was very white, blindingly white, but he didn't look away.
"After I got together with her, I couldn't write any songs anymore."
He said it in a very soft voice, as if he were talking to himself.
"In the past, I could write whenever I had an emotion—whether I was happy, sad, or angry."
But after being with her, my emotions were completely consumed by her.
Her happiness is her happiness, her sadness is her sadness, and her anger is her anger.
I have almost no emotions of my own anymore.
As Gao Huan listened, he recalled the song Hu Yanbin later wrote, "Take Everything You Want".
"Take everything you want, turn the memories to nothing, don't care about feelings, keep some things with dignity... Leave our dog behind, don't worry about whether it's useful or not, I'm afraid no one will love it in the future, even if it doesn't understand my pain."
He only truly understood these lyrics now; he hadn't known this gossip in his past life either.
Hu Yanbin poured himself another glass of wine. This time, he didn't gulp it down. He held it in his hand, swirled it, and watched as a thin layer of foam clung to the glass of yellow liquid.
"When you found the dog, did she put it in a shoebox?"
"Um."
"What brand of shoebox?"
Gao Huan thought for a moment. "I didn't notice, but it seems to be some luxury brand."
Hu Yanbin's lips twitched slightly.
"One pair of those shoes is enough to take the dog to the vet several times."
He said there was no anger in his tone, only a tired, helpless understanding.
Gao Huan did not respond.
Hu Yanbin finished the wine in his glass, put it down, picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.
"Thank you for the dog," he said. "Naza is a good girl, and she will be a good owner in the future."
Gao Huan looked at him, wanting to say something, but in the end only said two words.
"Yes."
When the two finished their meal and left the small restaurant, it was almost two o'clock.
In March in Shanghai, the sun was mostly obscured by clouds, and the light was hazy, but the wind was not cold and carried a damp, earthy smell of sprouting soil.
Hu Yanbin stood at the door, put on his mask, and reached out his hand to Gao Huan.
"Thank you for today."
Gao Huan grasped his hand. Hu Yanbin's hand was thin, with distinct knuckles, and his grip was not strong, but it was very tight.
"Brother Bin, see you next time! Let's collaborate again sometime. I might ask you to arrange the music for my new song."
Hu Yanbin nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the parking lot.
His black SUV was parked in the corner, its body covered in a layer of dust, looking like it hadn't been washed in a while.
He opened the car door, got in, and started the engine.
The car paused briefly in his hands before smoothly pulling out of the parking space.
As he passed Gao Huan, he rolled down the car window, revealing half of his face.
"Please tell Nazha I thank her again about the dog."
"it is good."
The car window rolled up, and the car turned out of the parking lot, merging into the traffic flow on Hongqiao Road.
The dark-colored car body moved further and further away in the traffic, finally being stopped by the traffic light. It paused for a moment, then turned a corner and disappeared.
Gao Huan stood there, looking in that direction for a while.
Then he took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Nazha.
"Little Eleven has been admitted to the hospital. Brother Bin has left, saying he thanked you."
Naza replied instantly with three words: "That's great."
Then another message came: "I've already made plans with Xiao Shiyi to go see it tonight."
Gao Huan looked at the message and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He locked the screen, put his phone in his pocket, and walked towards his car.
The March wind blew in through the car window, carrying the damp, earthy smell of sprouting soil.
Gao Huan started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
The traffic on Central was constant, and the glass curtain walls of office buildings reflected the gray-white light of the sky, shining in patches, like someone lighting candles in broad daylight.
He gripped the steering wheel, his mind replaying Hu Yanbin's earlier words.
"One pair of those shoes is enough to take the dog to the vet several times."
And that even softer, almost soliloquized remark.
"Did she ever even care about me?"
Gao Huan recalled a news story from his previous life.
All he knew was that Zheng Shuang had a dog named "Goji Berry," which she held and smiled sweetly in a variety show.
Fans say she has a kind heart and call her a fairy.
"Leave our dog."
One lyric, one dog's life.
Perhaps, breaking up with her was the only way to truly save Hu Yanbin's life.
Gao Huan cleared these thoughts from his mind, stepped on the gas, and drove towards the film crew.
My phone vibrated again.
Gao Huan glanced down and saw that Nazha had posted a photo taken at the pet hospital today. Little Eleven was curled up in an incubator with its eyes closed and its front legs bandaged.
The caption was just three words: "Our little Eleven."
Gao Huan looked at the photo and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He put his phone aside and continued driving.
The March wind blew in through the car window, carrying a damp, earthy smell of sprouting soil.
Little Eleven, found on the 11th, admitted to the hospital on the 11th.
It will survive.
Because he met Gulnazar, he didn't really care about a teddy bear.